Orion Jr has made her maiden voyage (at least under that name), carrying us from Mayo, MD down the bay to Hampton. We finished the last of the projects necessary to get her underway as the last week in July was coming to an end. By August 1st, we were halfway to Hampton, getting the feel of this smaller boat, with her tiller and outboard engine.

Final Checklist

Probably the most significant task remaining to be done before we launched Orion Jr was to get the fuel tanks connected to the engine. The original fuel hose needed to be replaced, and Dave also needed to find fuel tanks that would fit in the rather narrow opening for the fuel locker. Modern fuel tanks are built just a little too wide to fit. We managed to find the new fuel hose with the right fittings for the Nissan engine. Then he located 2 6-gallon tanks that fit, and at least one smaller one thanks to some help from Greg at GBS, Inc and George from Quicksilver. Then, Dave replaced the fuel line and ensured the tanks and the connections did not leak. Once the new line was run, Cathy crawled into what may be the least accessible and possible most disgusting part of the boat to tape up the gaps in the fuel vent hose. (Let’s hope the repairs hold.) With varying estimates of what the engine would use to make the run down the bay, we took on as much fuel as we could carry, which added up to about 15 gallons. This would either just get us to Solomons, 50 miles away or it would take us all the way to Hampton. Only time would tell.

New Mainsail

Before leavingAnnapolis, we went to pick up our sails. Bruce Empey, who had made the sails for Orion, had modified the Columbia’s headsail to make it a furling sail. The original mainsail was not worth modifying. Also, we needed to raise the boom to allow us to be able to stand under it. So, at Bruce’s suggestion, we found a new sail at Bacon that met the dimensions that he gave us for the raised boom. After we hoisted it, we discovered it needed some modifications to the head of the sail to keep it from interfering with the backstay. Bruce had made these modifications as well.

Orion Jr has tiller-steering, and the boat’s tiller had obviously been through a lot over the years, given its state when we purchased the boat. So, one of our first projects was to bring it back to Hamptonand work on re-finishing it. Cathy prepped and sanded it, which was all most of the surface needed. However, there was a hole in the side near the tip, with a repair that was failing. So, Dave used some epoxy to fill the hole, making it stronger than new. It also looks not much different from a knot in the wood. Several coats of varnish later, the tiller gleamed. With a couple of bolts through the end, it was re-installed and the boat was ready to steer.

New freezer

With several days of travel ahead, we decided to use the trip to try out our new Waeco fridge / freezer. It fit perfectly on an aft settee, just tight enough not to move while underway. Dave wired it into the fuse block and we started freezing 2 liter bottles of water to use as ice for the ice box. With our arrival several days later in Hampton, we were still working out a process that consumed the least amount of amps, but we had learned a lot.

Just a few more things to do. Dave needed to replace the hose for the new manual bilge pump and he also added a strainer to the bilge end of the run. Cathy had spent the last hiatus in Hampton making curtains for the portlights and to separate the Main Saloon and V-berth. We had purchased plastic h-track from a local canvas shop and, with some advice from Dan at Sailrite in Annapolis, we used a strong double-sided tape to mount them. They help provide privacy and help reduce the heat in the cabin below. And they don’t look too bad either.

The rest of the time, we spent organizing things down below, removing anything we could and stowing the remaining debris in various nooks and crannies. We had wanted to apply the name decals to the hull before launch, but alas they hadn’t arrived. We would just have to find a way to do it in the water. Other than that, by end of the day Wednesday, we felt we were ready to go.

Orion Jr ready to launch

Into the Water – and out again

Our launch was scheduled for Thursday morning (July 28th), and we felt we were ready. We surveyed the bottom of the boat for any last minute items to take care of. We realized the speed thru-hull needed paint around its rim, which Dave quickly applied. He was concerned that he couldn’t be sure whether the depth transducer had bottom paint on it. So, he had the boatyard sand it down and put the transducer-specific paint on it. Cathy pulled the few remaining items out from under the boat, to leave it clear for the Travelift bands. We opened up the compartments in the V-berth that contained our new and existing thru-hulls, to make inspection easier once we were lowered in the water. By late morning, she was underway to her launch. We arranged to have her lowered only partway into the water at first to allow us to get on board and check the thru-hulls. And it was good that we did. Although all the thru-hulls were sound, including the new one, there was a tiny leak through the fiberglass seal that covered the opening of a thru-hull that had been removed. It looked like we weren’t going any further into the water today.

Re-painting depthsounder

After Greg (who had done the work) inspected the leak, he determined that the water had found a tiny channel through the fiberglass, which was the source of the droplets of water. So, we hauled the boat back out of the water, and he put another layer of epoxy on the outer hull and more fiberglass on the inner hull. To give the repair the best chance, we delayed re-launch until Friday morning. Dave would apply the bottom paint to the epoxy on the hull in the morning, just before we splashed. We just hoped there would be no more leak. We then left the boat in the bands overnight and traveled to see George and Gail, who were going to keep the car for us and bring us back early the next morning. Shortly after arriving back at the marina, Dave had applied the paint and we were going back in the water. This time, all was dry. Orion Jr was in the water where we could finish preparing her for the shakedown cruise the next day.

Removing bubbles from the new name

The delay in launching wasn’t all bad, since the boat name decal that we ordered on-line arrived Thursday morning. With the boat back out the water, we had the time to apply it. So, we spent an hour applying the name to each side of the hull. In retrospect, this is not something we would have liked to have done with the boat in the water. The results look pretty good, and Orion Jr is now official.

Maiden Voyage

The rest of Friday was spent checking out boat systems that we couldn’t do on land. The depth sounder worked and seemed accurate, which we verified by dropping a lead line. Dave’s new deck washdown pump and associated plumbing worked great after he tightened a screw on a hose clamp. Cathy managed to rig some temporary shade over the boom. It would keep us from raising the main, but would keep us out the sun and cooler than without it until Cathy could build the bimini in Hampton. Dave started the engine (easily) and checked the fuel lines for leaks (none were found). We also spent some time re-distributing weight on the boat. While in the bands, the lift operator told us that we had only about 1000 lbs forward, but 3500 aft. So, we stowed some lesser used items in the V-berth compartments under the cushions. Finally, we washed the outside of the boat, which had gotten pretty dirty from its weeks on the hard. With our work done, there was little we could do, but try to escape the boiling 102 degree heat of this last Friday in July. As the sun began to set, we started to get some relief. We made an early night, so we could leave at first light for Solomons.

Cathy rigging temporary shade

As dawn came, we were already up and preparing to move. Although we had started the engine the day before, we hadn’t used it to move the boat, and it had been several years since we had used a tiller to steer a boat. It was going to be a learning process, but we had several days of sailing ahead to get used to it. So, we pushed off the dock and made our way down Cadle Creek to the RhodeRiver, site of our first grounding on Orion. Our only company this early on a Saturday morning was some crabbers and the fishermen headed out to the bay. Dave had rigged our trusty Garmin 172C chartplotter with a temporary mount to guide us on our journey. As we entered the West Riverand approached the bay, we took our first shortcut across the shoal at its entrance. Something we would never had tried with Orion. Once on the bay, we realized the wind was going to give us a nice push, so we unfurled the headsail and began to motorsail. As the day progressed, the wind built, but how much we couldn’t say, since this boat has no anemometer. But the whitecaps and the waves behind us told us it wasn’t the 5-10 knots forecast. So, we shut off the engine and sailed on the headsail alone for the remainder of the trip down the bay, only furling the sail when we entered the mouth of the Patuxent. Since we had no dinghy on board, we decided to take a spot on a dock so we could visit with Dave’s cousins in LexingtonPark. The first docking went fine in nearly calm conditions on a face dock. Not the biggest challenge, but every successful docking is a victory. After a couple of days spent with Don and Cindy and family, we headed out early on Monday for the Great Wicomico River, just south of the Potomac. After a morning of virtually no wind, which we appreciated as we crossed open waters of the mouth of the Potomac, the wind began to build out of the south, which was (of course) the direction we were heading. The smaller boat was slowed considerably more by pounding into the waves than our big boat. At one point, the outboard popped up out of the water, the mount no longer staying down. Later, we learned this was because we hadn’t locked the mount in the down position.

Dave deploying anchor at Sandy Point

With thunderstorms in the forecast, we wanted to make it into our anchorage before they arrived. Turning into the Great Wicomico, the waves moved to the beam and Orion Jr wallowed with the swells until we rounded Sandy Point and made it into the protection of its shoal. After 2 attempts, we managed to get the danforth anchor to set. It was a different process, since the anchor rode was in a bag, consisted of only 10 ft of chain and the rest rope, and without a windlass it had to be hauled in each time by hand. Cathy had to reach back to the outboard to shift into reverse or dash forward to the chartplotter to set the anchor drag and read how far we had fallen back. With only one other boat in the anchorage and a lot of room to shore, we felt we could handle the storms when they came.

After a short while at anchor, our neighbors on La Comete came over to invite us for a visit. We took them up on their offer and met this wonderful family of 5 (children ranging from 12 to 3) who were on their way to Quebec to have their boat hauled. They had started out in France in 2006, and spent several years in the Caribbean. We shared information about destinations in the bay, but warned them not to expect a lot of good sailing in the Bay in July – words that would come back to us later in our trip. As the lightning began to fill the sky, we begged our leave and headed back to the boat to brace for its arrival. When nothing happened for several hours, we began to think we’d dodged a bullet. But not so. The wind started blowing and was putting a large strain on our temporary shade. So, in the dark and bounced by the wind, we scrambled to untie it and take it down. A quick glance at the chartplotter in the process said the boat was OK, but once the shade was down, a look around made it obvious that we had dragged. So, we fired up the engine and moved into the wind far forward of our position, so we could fall back or (God forbid) drag a long way. We managed to get the anchor to set after a bit, and it held for the rest of the night, even making it hard to pull out in the morning. The storm cooled things off, and we had a pleasant sail to Indian Creek where we visited with Joy and Rusty from Slow Dancin’. After a weather day (which netted Dave his first ground tackle upgrade – 70 ft of chain), we moved down the bay and decided to use the north winds to push us all the way to Hampton. With a late start, this at first seemed doubtful, but by motorsailing and with a little push from the current, we pulled into our slip before 7pm, a long 10-hour run, but feeling good to be back home.

So, we had made our shakedown cruise and learned a few things about life on Orion Jr. 1. We can travel much closer to points on shore, cutting corners, which makes the distances shorter. 2. There is more motion on the little boat, meaning we need to watch the weather and travel in lighter winds.3. The radio, depthsounder, engine, sails, fuel, and electrical systems worked well.4. The boatspeed doesn’t work at all and the compass doesn’t read correctly. 5. The fuel economy was a LOT better than forecast. 6. Our trip to Solomons consumed only 2 gallons and from Solomons to Indian Creek took only 4.5.7. We need an auto-pilot.8. The weather forecast for every day we traveled, except one was for winds at 5 – 10 knots, however, without exception, each day we had whitecaps and 3ft seas. We keep wishing we could take back the advice we gave the folks on La Comete.

Friends and Family

On our way to the boat, we visited with our son’s family for a few days, getting to babysit some and enjoy the kids. We also spent time with Don and Cindy and the kids, enjoying their hospitality and helping the kids with their search for a new dog.

After several weeks of work on Orion Jr (our newly-acquired Columbia T-26 sailboat), she is almost ready to launch. Although we are back inHampton for now, we will return shortly to Mayo, MD to put her in the water and run her through her paces. Although we are not on her, much of our attention is still focused on the work to be done to get her ready to cruise south.

DC "hub" mounted in starboard locker

It’s Always about PowerDave put his experience on Orion to work in designing the layout of the DC power distribution and charging system. Using some components that we already had and some purchased specifically for Orion Jr, Dave constructed a DC “hub”that would hold the core elements that needed to draw power from or return power to the batteries. He mounted it just above the batteries on the forward bulkhead of the starboard locker, ensuring short wire runs to both batteries and the new DC control panel.

The batteries would be charged either via the 40 amp battery charger (when hooked up to shore power or the generator) or via the solar panels, routed through a solar controller. Both of these devices were mounted on the hub.

New control panel and battery monitor

As for the consumption side of things, he had to decide what devices would be clustered together on the same circuit and could be reasonably turned on together. We decided on three groupings of circuits: those always on, those on when we were at the boat, and those that would be turned on selectively when needed. In the first group, he included the engine, the bilge pump, the battery and solar chargers, and the refrigeration. These would be clustered together on a 6-circuit fuse block, ensuring fused connections to the battery. The 2nd group of circuits which were on when we were on the boat would include lights, 12V outlets, radios, chartplotter and water pump. Since all of these devices (except the outlets) would have their own switch, they would actually not draw any power until the individual device was turned on (or in the case of the outlets, plugged in ). They would be clustered on another 12-circuit fuse block, which was connected to the batteries via a switch. When we return to the boat, we simply turn the switch and all of these devices would have power. The 3rd group of circuits would also only be powered when the boat power switch was turned on. However, these circuits would then be turned on selectively via a new control panel. This would have breakers to turn on the instruments, the navigation lights, the bilge pump (on-demand), the anchor / steaming light and the deck wash-down pump.

Finally, we needed to monitor the power consumption, charging input and the overall state of the batteries. This would be accomplished with a new Victron battery monitor, mounted above the control panel in the main saloon. With the new DC circuitry conceived, we “just” had to implement it. Dave began to assemble the necessary components with stops at Bacon Sails, Fawcett , West Marine, auto parts stores and, of course, various web vendors. In the meantime, Cathy sealed and varnished the boards that would hold the components. Then came the methodical installation and wiring of each circuit. By the end of our 3rd visit to Orion Jr, all the components were in place and functioning as designed. The final step was to buy and install new batteries, replacing the original batteries with 2 new golf cart batteries from Sam’s. With the new batteries secured in new battery boxes, the DC system was ready to go. We were charging the batteries, running the fan (did I mention it was hot?) , watching DVD’s and turning on lights without thinking too much about it any more.

Isn’t power a wonderful thing?

With Greg's assistance, the mast comes down

Raising and Lowering the Mast – or it’s not always as simple as it looks

Knowing that we wanted to install a furling system for the headsail, we needed to lower the mast to remove and replace the forestay with one that would work with the new furler. So, soon after arriving for our 2nd visit to the boat, we set about lowering the mast for the first time. We were trying to decide what assistance we needed to make it work – gin poles, extra lines – when Greg (the broker who sold us the boat) arrived and told us we should be able to lower it without any extra help. So, he walked us through it and it seemed to come down smoothly. We laid it across the bow and stern rails and proceeded to remove the forestay.

New anchor light installed

Of the various projects that would be done while the mast was down, the most time-consuming would be the construction of the new furling system. We decided on a CDI Flexible furler and had Bacon assemble it for us, in addition to rigging the new forestay that it would require. While we waited on this work to be completed, we tackled the other projects on the mast. We needed an anchor light, since the boat did not have one. To install this, we needed access inside the top of the mast, which required removing the cap holding the sheaves for the wire halyards. After a few consultations, Dave decided he needed to drill out the rivets holding it in place. This process went smoothly enough and with a few serious tugs, the cap was off and the inside accessible. He then installed our LED anchor light from Orion, which we would hang on the boom with a 12V plug, on the bracket holding the Windex, and ran a new wire down the mast. At the same time he ran new coax to the VHF antenna, since the old coax was pretty old and a smaller diameter than is generally used today.

Main halyard spliced to wire

In addition to replacing the wires in the mast, we wanted to replace the halyards that ran its length as well, while the mast was on the deck. The easiest fix was replacing the flag halyard, which was completely gone, although the block that held it on the spreader was still in place and in good shape. The sail halyards were a different story. Unlike Orion,the halyards on the Columbia are not one continuous length of line, but instead are half wire and half line. The wires looked to be in good shape, but the line needed replacing. This required creating a new braid-on-braid splice loop around the wire loop for both the main and jib halyards. Having done this only once five years before, we had to carefully read and follow the step-by-step instructions that came with the fid (a special tool used to splice this kind of line). Although the first splice took about 2 hours, we had it down pat and were able to finish the 2nd one in about a half-hour. Although I don’t think we’re going to hire ourselves out to do this professionally any time soon.

Old spreader boot before replacing

The morning we were to go and pick up (with George and Gail’s assistance) the furling system, we scurried about to finish the few remaining tasks on the mast. Cathy installed the spreader boots, while Dave fished the wires out of the base of the mast, before we jumped in the car to meet George and Gail at Bacon. With the furler loaded in the back of George’s truck, we led the way back to Mayo and persuaded George to help us unroll the furler and put it in place. Before he could make a graceful exit, however, we further persuaded him to help us raise the mast. This turned out to be a fateful decision on our part. With the mast seated in its mount on the deck, it became painfully obvious that there was no way the 2 of us would be able to raise it by ourselves without mechanical assistance. We managed to fit a ladder under it, first on the ground and then on the tailgate of George’s truck. With the help of a winch on a discarded trailer and a long halyard we had brought from Orion, George tightened the line and the 3 of us lifted to finally position it in place. We were desperately grateful to George for his help, but also re-dedicated to finding a better system for raising it in the future. Live and learn.

New composting head in place

A Dirty Business Sitting around a dinner table with other cruisers, I have had more conversations about marine heads than I care to count. It’s a dirty subject, but we love to commiserate about it. So, it should be no surprise that the subject has come up again here, where everybody can read it.

Orion Jr came with a porta-potty, which we knew we would replace. It was also plumbed with a pump-out deck fitting, 2 through-hulls for a toilet and overboard discharge and a 7-gallon holding tank. The through-hulls both had gate valves instead of seacocks (gate valves open and close like a outdoor water faucet, making it difficult to be sure by looking at them whether they are open or closed). The holding tank was way too small to make it useful. Dave had been researching composting toilets, and we had talked to several boaters who had them on board. They allow much more time between disposing of the contents, with little to no smell and without the additional weight of a full holding tank.

So, we decided to install the composting toilet. That meant we could have the existing through-hulls removed and glassed over. We also removed the holding tank, freeing up much needed space. We then simply installed brackets in the floor to hold the toilet in place, gave it power to run a fan to vent the composting compartment and ran a vent hose into the forward compartment. To start it up, all we need is some peat moss to begin the composting process.

The only negative about the toilet is its height. Given the raised platform in the head and the low ceiling height, let’s just say we won’t be inspired to spend much time there.

New Deck Washdown pump and thru-hull

What else?

With the Electrical system, the head, and the mast in good shape, we were starting to work our way to the 2nd tier of projects to be done. We needed to turn our attention to anchoring requirements. We had 3 anchors on board, all of whichwere danforth-style, 14lbs or less, the primary anchor on the bow being the smallest of the three. Despite the abundance of anchors, we decided to bring our little stern anchor from Orion, (also a 14 lb Danforth) along with its rode to become the new primary anchor for now. Dave also installed a new deck washdown pump, which will help keep the ground tackle clean and the associated bottom muck off the boat. He used a new thru-hull that we had Greg’s workers install on the boat when they removed the 2 gated ones. Dave then mounted the pump and its filter above the new thru-hull under the bed in the V-berth and ran the hose to the new fitting on deck, which took advantage of the old toilet vent opening. With it wired to its breaker on the control panel, all was ready for our first night at anchor.

New VHF mounted in Main Saloon

We still need to talk to people on the water, so Dave connected the coax from the mast through to the coax already run into the boat’s interior and then mounted the new VHF under the control panel. We’ll see if this is close enough to the cockpit to remove the need for a remote mike, like we have on Orion. The distances are dramatically different on this boat.

There were a number of smaller projects that will help make life liveable down below. We mounted the Origo stove on the inside of a opening panel, so it can be out of the way when not in use. We added 3 12V outlets, to allow us to plug in cell phone chargefrs, computers and, more importantly, the chartplotter. We replaced the old incandescent fixtures in the Main Saloon with pairs of 6-inch LED light strips to minimize power consumption without sacrificing light intensity.

So, we were nearing the finish line. We scheduled a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel inspection to ensure we weren’t missing anything. The inspector complimented us on our preparation and we passed with flying colors. The manual bilge pump had been removed, but the thru-hull and a large 1 ½ inch hose was still laying inside the locker. So, we decided to re-install a manual bilge pump and connect it back up. The rudder hinge had been incorrectly mounted upside down, so we corrected this, installing a wire “tether” to prevent it from accidentally slipping overboard, now that it could more easily lift up. Is there more? Probably. But you get the idea.

New manual bilge pump in cockpit

Grandma Barb and Droz cut a rug

Fun Stuff

June found us in Rochester, celebrating the marriage of our niece, Janelle and her fiancé, Mike. Since our grandson was ringbearer, we had fun watching him get fitted for a tux and take charge of the cameras at the reception. A good time was had by all. After the wedding festivities were over, we got to spend some time with Joanne and Ralph of White Bird, whose new boat of that name (a beautiful Jeanneau) sails on the waters of Lake Ontario. We took a trip on the boat out to Lake Ontario(our first time on its waters) and spent a night at their home enjoying their hospitality. It was great to see them and catch up. Who knows, we may still see them on the water in the future.

We also managed to squeeze in a visit with Bonnie’s family, when they came to Norfolk for Bayou Boogaloo, a Cajun Food Festival on the Elizabeth River. It was some good company, good food and good fun. It was some good company, good food and good fun.

Making a splash

By month’s end, we expect to be have Orion Jr in the water and maybe even pointed toward Hampton. We just need some sails, some fuel, a couple of parts for the fuel system and we’ll be off. Wish us luck.